The present invention relates to the mounting of a vehicle electrical accessory and particularly to a combined mechanical and electrical mount therefor.
The design of modern vehicle accessories is becoming increasingly cognizant of manufacturing efficiency for purposes of cost reduction as well as designs which will be relatively free from defects and yet retain reliability and serviceability where necessary. In order to mount electrical accessories, such as lamp assemblies, to vehicles in the past, typically a mounting base with the necessary electrical sockets were secured directly to the vehicle roof. A bezel was then attached to the base and frequently carried lenses to finish the installation. In recent years, the headliners themselves serve as a carrier for some accessories, if not excessively heavy, so that an integrated headliner could be installed in a vehicle. The installation of a headliner requires roof fasteners, however, at various locations and frequently near roof-mounted accessories. Thus, there remains a need to reduce the complexity and cost of the accessories and their mounting processes, particularly as they pertain to electrically operated overhead vehicle accessories.
One such popular accessory is overhead map reading lamps or courtesy lamps for selectively illuminating the interior of the vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,631 discloses a lamp assembly in which a mechanical and electrical connector is included on a lamp housing which plugs into a socket secured to the vehicle roof structure by a housing secured utilizing conventional fastening screws. Thus, although the lamp assembly itself mechanically and electrically connects to the vehicle, it does so utilizing a roof-mounted housing and socket. Other similar mounting arrangements have also been proposed for use in connection with vehicles, however, there remains a need for a system which can both electrically and mechanically attach to a vehicle roof support without requiring a separate base or using the headliner for the sole support in cases of heavy accessories.